Chapter 38:
"Your brother?" The events in the Outlands had just taken place, but some time had passed since Sly had run from away from Timon and Jina, now afraid to find the answers that he seek. Jina had just heard Timon's theory about the connections between his dream and Sly's. She couldn't believe it. "You think Sly may actually be Titus?"
"Well, it can't be a coincidence that we both had the same dream... and now that I think about it, he does remind me of Dad," Timon said, who was leaning his weight against the big rock.
Jina blinked and then rubbed her chin. "Makes sense. Zuri did mention to me that when she first saw you she thought you were Sly. And, I have to admit, I agreed with her. There's a few differences in coloring and the number of stripes, but you do look like him."
Timon snorted softly and folded his arms over his chest. "I just don't see it."
Jina softly giggled as she padded closer to him. "Oh, come on, Timon. Panya always tells me how you were and how you grew up to be so much like Buzz. And you yourself just said Sly reminded you of him. But really... he reminds you of yourself."
Timon's eyes widened slightly, and then he exhaled. "Maybe you're right. But something's really nagging at me."
"What's that?"
"If Zuri mentioned that Sly has Ma's eyes, then that must mean she knows the connection between us. How could she know that we're brothers?"
"Beats me."
Timon blinked and glanced at her. "Beats you? What do you mean by that?"
"It means I don't know."
"C'mon, Jina, you can tell me. Zuri tells you everything, especially when she's mad at me or something."
"That's what's upsetting... if she does know then she didn't tell me. Although..." Jina thought back to a few days ago, when Zuri ran into her and hugged her, crying. "There was something that she was crying about, but she didn't end up telling me what it was all about."
Timon rubbed his chin briefly, and then glanced back at his father's grave. "Sly ran away so he wouldn't get the answers... but I want to confirm some of those answers."
"But Zuri's all the way back in the Outlands," Jina said as she tilted her head slightly. "And what about Sly?"
"Look, you stay here and wait for him to get back, then head back to the Outlands. I'll go on ahead and get some answers from Zuri."
Jina nodded slowly, "All right, Timon, but be careful. That creature in the Outlands probably likes to hunt at night."
"That's the least of our worries, Jina. Now you stay put and wait for Sly to come back here. I'll see you later." With that Timon set off towards the Outlands. Jina grimaced as she watched in the direction Sly went in, hoping to see him return soon.
Meanwhile...
Sly was sitting at the edge of a watering hole in the desert.
(A/N: To those who have read my past work, yes, this is the same watering hole Timon came across in Son of Fearless Buzz. Thanks for noticing.)
He had his knees hiked up to his chest, his arms folded on top, and his forehead resting on his arms. It had been a very long night, and he was dizzy with confusion and questions. He thought he was ready for the truth, but in the end, he ran away. And that stupid Timon was trying to scare him. He sighed and raised his head up, rubbing his eyes.
"What am I doing?" he asked himself as he ran a paw through his hair. He glanced at his reflection in the water and blew some air out of his mouth. "Stupid Timon, trying to freak me out like that. I know where I came from." He rested his chin on his arms and closed his eyes, trying to forget. He growled softly when he heard an annoying chant being sung.
Sly opened his eyes and furrowed his brow as he looked to see the source of the chant. Rafiki chuckled as he approached the meerkat. "You're a very hard act to follow, boy!"
Sly turned his attention back to his reflection. "Tch. Beat it, chimp. Can't you tell when a guy wants to be alone?" He yelped when Rafiki gave him a light smack with his staff. Sly growled and rubbed his head. "Hey!"
"And who says you want to be alone, Sylvester, when what you really want are answers? And I am the one who may supply them to you."
Sly blinked and stood, confused. "Wha...? How...?" He gathered himself up a bit as he turned to face the baboon. "How do you know my...?" He blinked when he noticed Rafiki was no longer standing where Sly thought he was. "... Name?" He looked around and found Rafiki behind him. "OK, old man, if there's one thing I know I want, it's that I don't want creepy monkeys creeping me out! I got enough of that from this one guy earlier!"
Rafiki leaned his weight on his staff and smiled, nodding. "Ahh, yes. You're referring to Timon. He's not known for his creepiness. Stubbornness and laziness, yes, but not creepiness."
Sly went to open his mouth, and then he closed it, once again confused. "You know him?"
"Very well. His father has asked me to keep watch over him, point him down the right paths to reach his destiny: to befriend a lonely warthog, his very first friend, who would help him to save the current King from death as a cub, and live on in his father's legacy to become a savior to his people."
Sly stared at Rafiki for a moment. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Timon here, chimp?"
"The Timon we both know is a meerkat, has brown eyes, red hair, and five stripes on his back, yes?" Sly nodded. "Then I speak of the same Timon."
"Uh-huh... And what about his father's legacy? Who was his father?"
Rafiki arched a brow and turned his back on the meerkat. "Are you sure you want the answers this time, boy? The last time you ran away."
"Look, I'm asking questions about Timon, not about myself. So who was his father?"
Rafiki suddenly appeared behind Sly, pushing his finger against the back of his head. Sly turned to see what it was, and the finger pushed against his nose. "When you ask questions about Timon, it is not very long before it concerns questions about yourself. So, are you sure you want the answers this time?" Sly was silent for a moment, thinking hard. He pushed Rafiki's finger from his nose, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Good answer! Now, you follow old Rafiki, he knows the way!" With that, Rafiki began running.
Sly sputtered for a moment before Rafiki took off. He then regained himself and ran after him. "Hey, chimp, slow down! I've got short legs!" He grimaced as he only heard Rafiki's chant ahead of him.
To be continued...